


Traded

by robin_writes



Series: Apparently I love messing with Felicity [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Fluff, cuteness, de-aged felicity, felicity is 5, oliver acts like her dad, oliver has so many cute nicknames for her
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 05:57:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17278376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robin_writes/pseuds/robin_writes
Summary: Team Arrow are out in the field; Oliver, Digg and Roy, while Felicity is working coms. Her line goes dead just as the team realise it was a distraction. They get back to the lair only to find a five year old brunette Felicity.





	Traded

It’s too easy. That’s the first thing Oliver thinks. The mission’s going too smoothly, they knew exactly how many men were going to be there, only six, and it looked like they were just hanging around waiting to get caught.

It was meant to be a large shipment of Vertigo leaving Starling City. Instead, when Oliver, Roy and Digg got on site, there were six men just waiting outside a van.

The whole thing was over pretty quickly, the men didn’t even fight back. And when Digg opened up the back of the van, there was nothing inside except for a piece of paper, resting on the floor of the van. Oliver picked it up and turned it over. “Got you!” It said.  
“What?” He was confused. “Felicity could you check the tracker we put on The Count’s man?” Oliver asked, but when he received no reply over the coms, he continued. “Felicity? You there? Felicity!” He turned to Digg and Roy. “It was a distraction.” He growled and ran off to find his bike.

Oliver broke a whole bunch of traffic laws getting back to the Foundry. He was speeding and running through red lights. But he was the first one back.

He opened the side door and hurried down to their lair. “Felicity?” He called out. Oliver rushed down the metal steps and threw himself into the room. 

His eyes went straight to her desk but he couldn’t see her blonde hair sticking over the top. “Felicity?” He called again, hoping she went to the bathroom or something.  
“Ol’ver?” A small brunette girl stood up in Felicity’s chair and turned around to look at him.  
“Hi.” He said, walking towards her slowly, like she was a wild animal he was trying not to startle.  
“Ol’ver!” A huge smile broke out on her face. “I was scared cause I was alone. But it’s okay cause you’re here now.” The brunette girl climbed down from the chair and ran over to him, hugging his legs.  
“Hey, it’s okay, I’m here. What’s your name?” He asked, crouching and stroking the girl’s hair.  
“It’s me, Fe-li-city.” She sounded her name out.  
“Felicity?” Oliver’s eyebrows jumped off his head in shock. “How old are you Felicity?”  
“Five, is my mummy gonna pick me up soon? I’m tired.”  
“Not yet, but if you want you can come sit with me on the couch while we wait for Digg and Roy.” He said and she nodded.

Oliver led the small Felicity over to the couch and gave her a hand as she climbed up onto the furniture. He settled into the corner and she moved over to him, burying herself in his side. He looked down at her and smiled. 

It wasn’t long before Diggle and Roy were rushing down the stairs. “Is she okay?” Diggle asked.  
“Sort of.” Oliver said, lifting his arm so they could see the girl laying on top of him. He dropped it softly and started to stroke her hair.  
“Woah, mini-Felicity.” Roy said. “She’s cute.” 

Oliver had already registered how cute she was, even if she was wearing a plain top and denim skirt. That was the one thing that didn’t click with him, other than the whole ‘Felicity is five’ thing, where did the kid clothes come from?

“Hey Felicity?” He said.  
“Hmm?” She peeked up from where she was burrowed.  
“Before you were alone, was there anyone here who you didn’t recognise?”  
“I don’t know.” She seemed frustrated with her answer.  
“What about your clothes? Where did they come from?”  
“I don’t know.” She was becoming more frustrated.  
“What’s the last thing you remember before you were alone?” Oliver kept pushing, Digg was making a face in the corner like it was a bad idea and Roy was just standing there watching.  
“I. Don’t. Know.” She said, pushing off of Oliver and the couch and hurrying off in the direction of the bathroom.  
“Hey hey hey.” Once Oliver had gotten over the shock, he quickly pushed off the couch himself and went after her. She didn’t get very far and he snatched her up as she ran. “Why’re you upset?” He asked gently, looking at her red-rimmed eyes.  
“I’m smart, my mummy told me. I don’t like not knowing.”  
“It’s okay. It’s probably just because you’re tired, I’m sure you’ll remember tomorrow.” Oliver held the girl to his chest.

He bounced her gently as he walked back to the sofa, an amused look on Roy’s face. “Would you be able to go to the store and get some more clothes and food for Felicity?” He asked the other two men.  
“Sure.” Diggle nodded and led Roy out of the Foundry.

“Hey pretty girl, don’t cry.” Oliver wiped the tear that had fallen down her cheek with the pad of his thumb.  
“I’m sorry I hurt you Ol’ver.” She said, leaning her face into his chest.  
“That’s okay, you didn’t mean it.” They settled back on the couch, waiting for the others to come back.  
“Are we in Vegas Ol’ver?”  
“No, I don’t live in Las Vegas. Remember, I live in Starling City.”  
“Are my mummy and daddy in Vegas?”  
“Yeah, baby, they are.”  
“Are you looking after me?”  
“I am, for a little while.” He pulled her close, afraid she was going to start crying properly.  
“That’s good. I like you.” Her words made Oliver smile.  
“I like you too.” He replied.

There was a short while where neither of them said anything, but then Oliver realised Felicity was still a babbler, a kid or not. “Back in Vegas, my mummy works at the casino and sometimes she lets me go with her and I get to sit at the tall table with the stools and all of the bottles.”  
“The bar?”  
“Yeah,” She nodded. “I get to sit at the bar and mummy comes over for drinks but then she goes away again, but she always comes back. And daddy works somewhere else but I’ve never been to his job before because he says it’s only for grown ups. Sometimes when he comes home he looks mad and those nights I run to bed because he uses his outside voice a lot. Mummy says it’s okay but she always looks sad.”

During her speech, Oliver realised that Felicity didn’t have the best home life growing up, he knew her dad left but it sounded like that hadn’t happened yet. “Sometimes my mummy looks sad, but you know what always makes her feel better?” Oliver said to the girl.  
“What?”  
“A big hug from me or my sister.”  
“Fea?”  
“Yeah, my sister Thea. She gives the best hugs.”

Diggle and Roy reappear with several bags. “So, who’s looking after the squirt?” Roy asked, dropping his bags next to the couch. “Cause I’d like to withdraw my name from that ballot, I’m not a kid person… and I live in the Glades.”  
“She seems pretty attached to you, Oliver.” Diggle said.  
“Hey pretty girl, you wanna go home with me or Digg?” Oliver asked.  
“You Ol’ver.” She pressed her finger gently into his chest.  
“It seems like that’s sorted then. Thanks for the stuff, we should probably wrap this up for the night. I’ll see you both tomorrow?” Oliver said, getting up while keeping hold of the five year old attached to him.  
“Sure.” Roy nodded and disappeared.  
“I should probably drop you home, wouldn’t want Moira to dock my pay.” Diggle joked, picking up the bags Roy left.

They shut off the computers and the lights and then made their way out to the car. “There’s no seat Ol’ver.” Felicity was the first one to notice they didn’t have a car seat.  
“Crap. You can sit on my lap, it’s not too far.”  
“That’s not safe!” She complained as Oliver climbed into the car with her.  
“I’m sorry, but your mummy forgot to lend me your seat. I promise it’s not far.”  
“Okay.” Felicity settled in his lap and he wrapped both of his arms around her. John drove off.

And it wasn’t far. They pulled up to the Queen’s manor and Oliver carried Felicity inside. “Just wait here, I’m gonna grab the bags.” He put her down.

Oliver took a moment to grab the bags of clothes and food and then say goodbye to his friend. Diggle left quickly. But Oliver couldn’t be more surprised by the scene that met him when he stepped back inside.

Felicity was screaming her head off, crying and Thea was rushing down the stairs. Felicity saw Thea before she saw Oliver, and she stopped screaming. “Fea?” She asked, tears still rolling down her face.  
“I’m Thea.” Thea said, coming to a crouch in front of the over-tired little girl.  
“Ol’ver said you give the best hugs.” She hiccuped.  
“It’s a proven fact.” Thea smiled and picked the girl up, cuddling her. Felicity dropped her head into Thea’s neck.

“Hey pretty girl.” Oliver said gently, coming up behind Felicity and stroking her back.  
“You were gone.” Felicity mumbled into Thea’s neck.  
“I only stepped out to get your new clothes and to say goodbye to Digg. I’m sorry I left.” Goddamnit, Oliver Queen was not going to cry because this little girl thought he’d abandoned her. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.” He took Felicity from his sister’s arms. Thea raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a look that meant ‘we are going to talk about this later’. He nodded.

Oliver wasn’t sure where Felicity should sleep. She was too big for the nursery but too small for a room of her own, she would probably start crying again if he left her. So he climbed the stairs to his bedroom. The furniture was not at all personal, it was mainly just used as a pit stop between being Oliver Queen during the day and the Arrow at night. 

He laid her down on the bed and pulled out the clothes Digg and Roy had bought, hoping there were pajamas in there. There were, soft flannel ones. He passed them to Felicity. “Can you do it by yourself or do you want help?” He asked her.  
“I can do it.” She stood up on the bed and started changing, Oliver spun around so he wasn’t looking. He knew most children had very little modesty, but this was still his Felicity.

Oliver changed in the bathroom with the door open a crack into sweats and a plain black t-shirt. He returned to find Felicity had already crawled into his bed. “Tell me a story Ol’ver.” She said, sleepily, and he knew she wouldn’t last very long.  
“Okay.” He laid down next to her, stroking her hair. “There was a boy,”  
“Ol’ver.” Felicity interrupts.  
“Yes?”  
“No, the boy’s called Ol’ver.”  
“Sure, there was a boy called Oliver and he on a boat. But there was a storm,”  
“And pirates.” She added.  
“Right, one night there was a storm and another ship appeared full of pirates. They used the storm to cover up their plan to board the Oliver’s ship. Oliver hears swords clashing so he hides until it’s all over. But the storm turns the boat over. When Oliver wakes up he’s all alone,” Felicity gasped. “on an island. And so he starts looking for coconuts to drink and fish to eat. He lives alone for a little while until he goes into the jungle and sees a girl.”  
“Felicity.”  
“Right. Oliver sees Felicity and she tells him that she’s lived on the island her whole life and she can show him where the best chocolate bars are.”  
“No, that doesn’t make sense.”  
“Sure it does. Chocolate beans grow on trees. Felicity and her parents make chocolate on the island. They become friends and Oliver realises when they’re together that he’s not alone anymore.”  
“G’night Ol’ver.” Felicity said and closed her eyes.  
“Goodnight Felicity.” Oliver saw Thea hovering at the door and carefully extracted himself from the bed, walking over to her. He closed the door until it was open just a crack and then turned to his sister.

“She’s cute. Not exactly your type but you managed to get her in bed fast enough.” Thea laughs.  
“I’m babysitting for a friend. Felicity shouldn’t be here too long.”  
“Who would trust you with their kid? Do you even know anybody with a kid?”  
“Sure I do, Felicity’s mum. It was kind of a last minute thing, but I know Felicity and she’s comfortable with me.”  
“She seems it, she also seemed to know who I was.”  
“I’ve talked about you.”  
“Ollie?”  
“Yeah Speedy?”  
“Who is Felicity’s mum?” She seemed suspicious.  
“A woman at work, Donna.”  
“Are you dating Donna?”  
“No, she’s… in hospital. But she asked me not to tell Felicity, didn’t want to worry her. It’ll only be a few days Speedy.”  
“Okay.” Thea seemed to accept that explanation. “I still can’t get over you being all Mr Dad with the hugging and the story. It’s a nice change.” Thea smiled and then walked off.

Oliver climbed back into the bed, planning on reading a little because it was far too early for him to go to sleep. Felicity was already snoring lightly.

He woke up to someone poking him in the ribs. With tiny fingers. And soft giggling. “Ol’ver, it’s time to wake up.” She laughed.

It took a few moments for him to remember, but he opened his eyes and then attacked playfully. He started to tickle her and smiled widely as Felicity laughed. “Stop! Ol’ver stop!” She finally said and he moved back. But then he was being pushed onto the bed out of surprise as Felicity dived on him and started to tickle him back.  
“Stop! I concede.” He said, pretending to wave a flag above his head.

He bent his neck when he heard laughing from the doorway. Thea was standing there. “I thought I heard fun.” She said, hesitantly taking a step inside. If there was one thing Oliver regretted about being the Arrow, it was all the lies. Especially having to lie to Thea. She had separated herself from him because she saw him as a liar, but it was nice to see her trying to rebuild the relationship, even if it was because of baby Felicity.

“Would you watch her while I take a shower?” He asked, wanting to include the sister that had all but told him it was better when he was dead.  
“Sure, we can have some girl time, right Felicity?” Thea said, sitting next to Felicity on the bed.  
“Right.” Felicity replied, nodding to Thea.  
“Oh God, maybe this was a mistake.” He said joking, getting up to go to the bathroom. “I’ll just be in here, okay. I’m not leaving you and you’re not gonna be alone. Is that okay?” He asked the child, not wanting a repeat of last night.  
“Okay.” She nodded.

Oliver closed the door between them but held off getting undressed, listening at the door to make sure she wasn’t crying. She wasn’t. He took his shower as quickly as he could.

The sight that met him afterwards was one he’d never forget. Thea and Felicity were bouncing on his bed and Thea had dressed Felicity in a fluffy grey onesie that had a tail and cat ears on the hood. “Look Ollie, I’m a cat!” Felicity jumped off the bed at him and he barely caught her in time. But instead of being afraid, she was laughing again.  
“Since when do you call me Ollie?” He asked, balancing her on his hip.  
“Fea calls you Ollie.” She looked up at him.  
“She does.” He nodded.  
“Where are we going today Ollie?” Felicity asked.

His hair was still damp, but he’d remembered to take clothes into the bathroom so he was ready to go. “Well kitten, we’re going to see Digg.”  
“And Roy?” She asked and Thea choked.  
“How does she know Roy?” Thea asked.  
“It’s a different Roy. He’s her step-dad.” Oliver lied.  
“Oh, I guess I’ll leave you both in peace then, if you’re going out.”  
“Bye Fea.” Felicity waved as the other girl smiled and left. “Silly Ollie, Roy’s not my step-dad.”  
“I know kitten, but it’s pretend. Like the story last night.”  
“Okay.”  
“Come on, you’re probably hungry.”

Feeding Felicity was a much easier task than he had anticipated. She didn’t get messy and she even chastised him on his table manners.

They were at the Foundry after an hour. Oliver had already called in sick for work. As soon as she saw the familiar space, Felicity fidgeted out of his arms and ran off. Oliver had a pretty good idea where she was heading to.

Felicity had a workshop area with plastic boxes full of mechanical parts. She used them to upgrade the computers or the security or just generally tinker with. Sure enough, little Felicity was already pulling a few things out of the boxes when Oliver rounded the corner. He sat down by the wall, staying out of her way but keeping an eye on her. He fired off texts to Digg and Roy that they were in the lair all day but they weren’t needed if they had other plans.

Surprisingly Roy turned up. He came into the workshop area and sat down next to Oliver. When she saw him, Felicity squealed in delight and rushed over to him, she tripped and fell into his lap. She pushed up and brushed herself off. “Ollie said you’re my step-dad Roy. I told him he was being silly. But he said we should pretend.” Roy glared at Oliver.  
“I meant we should pretend around Thea. You don’t have to pretend around Roy, kitten.” When Oliver called her kitten, she seemed to remember and pulled her hood up, jumping into Roy’s lap and meowing. He laughed.  
“Look Roy, I’m a cat.” She was even cuter the second time.

Roy lifted her and set her back on her feet. She quickly grew bored and went back to the computer parts. “Step-dad?” Roy asked Oliver.  
“She mentioned you to Thea. I couldn’t think of anything else. To Thea, we shouldn’t really know each other.” Oliver said and Roy nodded.

Out of nowhere there was a bloodcurdling scream and then Felicity started crying. Oliver was already checking her over by the time Roy reacted. She had cut her palm on one of the sharp bits of metal. “I got an ouchie.” She declared, showing it to both men.  
“I don’t think we keep band-aids.” Roy said.  
“Oh.” She seemed sad. “You gotta kiss it better.”  
“What?” Oliver said, but then Felicity’s tiny hand was being forced over his mouth so he just went with it, kissing her cut better.  
“Fank you.” She said. “It feels better.”  
“Good.” Oliver smiled. “Maybe I should wrap a small bandage around it, you know, just in case.”  
“Can’t hurt.” Roy said, unsure.

Oliver lifted Felicity in his arms, taking her to where they stored their med kits. He set her down on the silver table and grabbed a bandage wrap. Oliver wrapped her hand up. “Fanks Ollie.” She smiled at him.  
“You’re welcome.”

Roy kept an eye on Felicity while Oliver tried to figure out how to get to The Count. Their tracker had obviously been compromised. Digg came in later with Big Belly Burger for everybody, and suddenly he was Felicity’s favourite person, until she had finished her food and then she was trying to climb up Oliver as he sat at her desk.

She made it into his lap and sat there for a while, watching him work on the computers. “I think I found a location for The Count.” He said. Felicity coughed. “Felicity helped.” She nodded.  
“Of course she did.” Digg smiled.  
“She’s smarter than all of us, even now.” Roy said and Felicity basked in the complements.  
“He’s holed up in a building in the warehouse district.” Oliver said. “Gear up.”  
“What about me?” Felicity said, glaring at him from his lap.  
“Oh, right. I guess you’ve gotta come with us, so he can make you big again.” Oliver said.  
“I don’t know, maybe you should leave her with Thea. We could bring the cure to her.” Digg said.  
“I’ll call Thea.” Oliver said, realising how stupid his plan was. “Hey Thea.” He said when she picked up.  
“Hi Fea.” Felicity said, able to hear Thea because of how close to the phone she was.  
“Hi Felicity, Ollie. What’s up?”  
“I’ve gotta go see Donna, could you watch Felicity for a few hours?”  
“My mummy’s called Donna.” Felicity said.  
“She is.” Oliver nodded.  
“Sure, I’m at the club in my office. Bring her by.” Thea said.  
“We’re not too far. I’ll see you soon.” Oliver said.  
“Bye Fea.” Felicity smiled.  
“Bye Felicity.” Thea hung up.

Oliver grabbed her bag and carried her out of the side entrance, walking around to the front of Verdant. He opened the doors and headed up to Thea’s office.

As soon as she saw Thea, Felicity made grabby hands at her. Thea lifted her from her brother. “I won’t be long, three hours at most.”  
“You leaving Ollie?” Felicity asked.  
“I am pretty girl, but Thea is gonna look after you and I’ll be back real soon, okay.”  
“Okay.”  
“We’re all good here, go see Donna.” Thea said.

Oliver went back into the basement and pulled on his suit. The three drove for the warehouse district.

The building was empty, save for a vile of blue liquid and a note. “For Felicity.” Digg took the vile while Oliver and Roy checked the building for anyone, but they came up empty-handed.

“This was The Count. What do you think his play was?” Roy asked on the way back to the Foundry.  
“It was an experiment, testing a new drug, or it was a distraction.” Oliver said, gritting his teeth.  
“It was a hell of a distraction.” Roy said.

Felicity was colouring in at Thea’s desk while Thea watched her after Oliver had changed. “Donna’s better. You should say goodbye, Thea, I’m taking her home now.” Oliver said and Thea tensed up.  
“What? No, you said a few days.”  
“I’m sorry Speedy, but Donna made a quick recovery, she wants her daughter back.”  
“Just… let me say goodbye okay?” Thea was tearing up. She had already become attached to the girl. She crouched down next to Felicity. “Hey Flick.”  
“What’s wrong Fea?”  
“You’re going home now, you’re going back to your mum. But this has been really nice, and I hope you come round lots and we can jump on the bed together soon.”  
“Don’t be sad Fea.” Felicity wiped away Thea’s tears. It broke Oliver’s heart that he was taking Felicity away from his sister, but she deserved to be back to normal.  
“I’m not sad, I’m just happy that you’re gonna get to see your mum. Goodbye Flick.” Thea pressed a kiss to Felicity’s forehead.  
“Bye bye Fea.” Felicity smiled and Oliver took that as his cue to lift her up. 

She dropped her pencil. “It’s for you Fea.” The picture was of the three of them, holding hands and smiling. Thea smiled brightly.  
“Thanks Flick.”

Oliver carried Felicity down the stairs, trying not to cry himself. This might not be regular Felicity, but she was still his Felicity. And he would miss her.

Oliver laid her down on the couch and covered her with a blanket. “Am I gonna take a nap?” She asked.  
“Yeah baby, but you’ve gotta drink this first.” He passed her the vile of blue liquid, the cure. “Bye Felicity.” He whispered, kissing her cheek. Felicity brought it to her lips and drank, passing the glass back to Oliver. She wiped her mouth with her arm and then closed her eyes.

A few moments later, there was the sound of clothing tearing and then Felicity was back to normal. Except she was naked under the blanket. Diggle passed her a change of clothes she kept at the lair. “Thanks.” She smiled at him.

“So, how did you get the kid clothes?” Diggle asked when Felicity was dressed.  
“When The Count came to drug me, I transformed, I guess, and he dressed me. It was kinda creepy.”

Oliver moped around the lair for days and Thea around the house for weeks. Roy was less subtle about it, but Felicity felt that they missed five year old Felicity. So every time Oliver would reach out to stroke her hair, she would let him. He wasn’t thinking about what he was doing, but she never made him feel bad for the impulse. It was kinda nice. 

Felicity gradually remembered what happened as a child. She remembered it was the most she’s ever laughed in a short space of time. There were little things that reminded her; the picture she drew for Thea was blu tacked to the wall in Thea’s office, and several photos that appeared of her with Oliver or Roy. Every time she saw them they made her smile. It was a weird couple of days, but she wouldn’t trade them for anything.


End file.
